Fire-door lock.



H. G. VOIGHT.

PIRE DOOR LOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15,1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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Maxi@ CoLuMmA VLANQGRAPH Co.,\\',\smNnTON, nA c,

H. G. VOIGHT.

PIRE DOOR LOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 15,1912.

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HENRY Gr. VOIGHT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE-DOOR LOCK.

Application led July 15 To all whom tt may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY Gr. Voici-IT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, Hartford county, State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Door Locks, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to locks of the so-called fire door type andcontemplates the provision of a plurality of spaced locking memberscontrolled and retractable from one side of the door through a commonoperating means and so constructed and arranged as to be non-retractablefrom the opposite side of the door except through certain regulatedchannels, as key-controlled mechanism, for instance.

The invention includes means for automatically holding the lockingmembers retracted after the door has been unlocked and' opened, and forautomatically releasing and moving them into locking position when thedoor is closed. These and other advantages will appear from the moredetailed description following taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part thereof and illustrating one preferable embodimentof the invention.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through acasing containing t-he looks comprising the present invention, thesection being taken on the line a-a of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section on the line J-b Fig. 1, parts being left in elevation.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on an enlarged scale throughthe upper part of the lock casing, illustrating the automatic lock forthe operating bar. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on anenlarged scale through a part of the lock casing, illustrating themanner of connection of a latch bolt to the operating bar. Fig. 5 areface and edge views of one of the latch bolts. Fig. G are views in frontelevation and transverse vertical sect-ion of a portion of the operatingbar showing one of the latch actuators carried thereby. Fig. 7 is adetail view in front and side elevation of the top of the operating bar.Fig. S is a detail view in front and Side elevation of the gravity lockfor the Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912. serial No. 709,393.

operating bar. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the lockcasing illustrating a detail of construction.

The various parts forming the lock are preferably mounted in and carriedby a suitable frame so that they can be applied as a unit to a doorsuitably cut away to receive them. In the drawings, a metallic frame isshown comprising the vertical edge plate 1 having a side plate 2extending from one side thereof and provided with an extension 3 forminga bearing for the knob shank. From the opposite side of the verticalplate projects-a second extension plate el. in alinement with the first,the two plates being provided with alined apertures for the knob shanksof the lock mechanism. At its top the edge plate 1 has a horizontalextension 5 provided with a vertical downwardly extending flange 6,while at its bottom is a somewhat similar extension 7 having a verticalupwardly extending liange 8. This frame is covered and the parts carriedthereby concealed from view by a metal sheathing 9 suitably secured toand covering the frame and adapted to cover the part of the door towhich the lock is applied, or the whole as may be desirable.

Projecting inwardly from the edge plate 1 of the frame are a pluralityof guides 10 apertured to receive and guide an operating bar 11extending vertically and substantially parallel with the edge plate 1 ofthe frame. Extending from the side plate 2 of the frame beyond theoperating bar 11 and in vertical alinement are a plurality of studs 12serving as hubs for a plurality of latch bolts 13 pivotally securedthereto by the pivot pins 14. These latch'bolts adjacent their pivotedends are each provided with an elongated slot 15 extending radially fromits pivoted point and formed with an undercut portion at its inner endto afford a locking shoulder 16 for the purpose hereinafter described.Headed operating pins 17 are swiveled in the operating bar 11 at pointsclosely adjacent the latch bolts 13 and extend from the face thereof inthe form of squared Shanks 18 of a cross sectional area somewhat lessthan the widthY of the slots 15 and of the lengt-h of their undercutportions. These squared Shanks extend into the radial slots 15 of thelatch bolts and are adapted to move said bolts into and out of lockingposition as will be seen later.

Extending through the alined apertures in the spindle bearings 3 and 4and from opposite sides of the door are the knob shanks 19 and 20. Theshank 19 and its knob 21 which is located on the outer side of the door,are non-rotatable and serve merely as a handle. The shank, however,carries a spindle 22 which is rotatable through a key-controlledcylinder lock 23 mounted in the knob. The inner end of spindle 22carries a roll-back 24. The shank 2O carries a spindle 25 freelyrotatable through an operating crank 2G lo* cated on the inner side ofthe door. Spindle 25 carries at its inner end in proximity withroll-back 24, a second and independently operable roll-back 26. Both ofthese roll-backs are positioned under and against a yoke 27 rigidlyattached to the operating bar 11 so that actuation of either roll-backfrom either side of the door will move the yoke 27 upwardly and throughit the operating bar 11. The extension plates 3 and 4 forming thebearings for the knob shanks, etc., are connected to and spaced fromeach other by the tubular rods 23 carried by and extending from bearingplate 3 and engaged at their ends by screws 29 carried by bearing plate4. The knob shanks are each provided with the usual roses 30 andescutcheon plates -31 mounted on the outer side of the door casing. Thisupward movement of the operating bar will cause the squared shanks 18 ofthe operating pins 19 to ride upwardly in the slots 15 of the latchbolts, swinging these bolts inwardly from locking position so that thedoor may be swung open, the swiveled ends of these pins turning theoperating bars as the latch bolts swing on their pivots. These boltscannot be retracted from the exterior independently of the operating barby the insertion of a knife or other tool between the door edge andjambby reason of the shoulders 16. It such a tool is used in an unauthorizedattempt to open the door from the exterior, these latch bolts will moveonly slightly inwardly, bringing the squared shanks 18 of the operatingpins into the undercut portions oi' the slots 15 and against theshoulders 16, which will form locking abutments preventing upwardmovement of the operating bar 11 and of these shanks 18 in these slots,thereby stopping further retraction of the latch bolts.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when either of the roll-backs 24and 26 are oscillated either through the interior crank handle 26loperating roll-back 26 or through the cylinder lock 23 controlling therollback 24, the operating bar 11 will be moved upwardly to move thesquared shanks 18 of the operating pins 17 upwardly in the slots 15 ofthe latch bolts 13, thereby retracting the latches from locking positionand withdrawing them within the casing out of the way. I should havestated heretofore that the edge plate 1 and the metallic sheathing 9covering said plate, are both provided with suitable apertures throughwhich these latch bolts may project, and that the cooperating casing ofthe door is provided with suitable sockets or socket plates positionedto receive the heads of the latch bolts when they are projected.

In order to hold the latch bolts within their casing after being onceretracted and in order to automatically release them when the door isclosed to permit them to move to locking position, I have provided thefollowing mechanism. The upper end ot the operating bar 11 is providedwith a tubular head 32 through which it extends, this head being fixedlysecured to said bar by any suitable means, and both the bar and headbeing cut away adjacent their upper ends to provide a locking recess 33forming a locking shoulder 34. Depending from the under face of thehorizontal plate 5 of two spaced ears 35, between which ears ispivotally mounted a gravity lock for the upper end of the rod. This lockis formed by an angle arm having its vertical portion 36 pivotallymounted between the aforesaid depending ears and having its upper end 37extending out through plate 5 and beveled upwardly in the direction ofdoor closing movement. At its lower end, the arm 36 has an angularextension 38 at right angles thereto, this extension being adapted tocooperate with the recessed portion 33 at the upper end of the operatingbar 11, and in one position resting against the locking shoulder 34 andserving to hold the operating bar raised and the latch bolts controlledthereby retracted. This angular extension 38 extends beyond the lateralplane of the arm 36 forming an abutment shoulder 39. The arm 36 at itslower end is recessed to form a second abutment shoulder 40. A weight 41is secured to the lower end of this angle arm with its upper end restingagainst the abutment shoulders 39 and 40 and is fixedly secured to saidarm by any suitable means, as the pin shown in the drawings. When thisangle arm swings on its pivot to bring its arm 36 in substantiallyvertical. position, as seen in F ig. 3 of the drawings, the extension 38will enter the recess 33 from the side of the head 32 and will abutagainst the locking shoulder 34, the weight 41, through gravity,normally tending to cause this locking movement. Nhen the door isclosed, the contact of the beveled upthe lock frame adjacent the dooredge are.

per end 37 of the arm 36 with the upper edge of the door casing or witha suitable strike plate carried thereby, normally throws the lockingextension 38 out beyond the recess 33 and out of contact with thelocking shoulder 34, as will be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings.

IVith the foregoing in mind, the operation of a door provided with thislock is as ollows. Assuming that t-he door is closed and the latch boltsprojected to locking position as shown in Fig. 1, with the gravity lockinoperatively positioned by the closing of the door, and it is desiredto open the door, say, for instance, from the interior, the persongrasping the crank handle 26 and giving it a quarter turn in eitherdirection will raise the operating bar 11, and through its operatingpins 17, will retract the latch bolts 13 from locking position, asheretofore described. The door may now be moved to open position. Assoon as the upper edge of the door clears the casing, the arm 36 ot' thegravity lock, which has been thrown outwardly by the contact of itsbeveled upper edge 37 with said casing, will be swung inwardly by theweight 41 attached thereto, this movement swinging its locking eXtension38 within the recess 33 of the head 32 of the operating bar which hasbeen moved upwardly by the crank handle 26 and positioned in line withthis locking extension. The weight 41 will hold this locking eXten-.sion in such position with its upper face abutting against the lockingshoulder 34 and holding the operating bar raised and the latch boltsretracted. The same result will take place if the door were opened fromthe exterior through the cylinder lock 23 and roll-back 24. When thedoor closes, the beveled upper end 37 of the arm 36 will strike theupper edge of the door casing and will be thrown inwardly, therebyserving to retract its angular extension 38 from engagement with thelocking shoulder 34 of the operating bar head 32, whereupon this barwill drop by gravity and through the engagement of the operating pins 17with the slots of the latch bolts, project these bolts into lockingengagement with their cooperating sockets in the door jamb. The contactof the beveled upper endof this arm 36 with thefupper edge of the doorcasing will hold the gravity lock inoperatively positioned until thedoor is again opened, whereupon the recess and locking shoulder will bepositioned to coperate with saidl gravity lock and the latter will bemoved to coperate therewith, as has been heretofore pointed out.

I have described and illustrated a preferable and speciic form oflocking mechanism, but desire it understood that such form may bemodified and changed within the spirit of the invention and the scope ofthe appended claims.

That I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent is:

1. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, means whereby said latch bolts may be retractedthrough a common operating means, and means whereby said latch boltslock themselves against retraction through movement independent of saidcommon operating means.

2. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, freely operable means located on one side of saiddoor whereby said latch bolts may be retracted through a commonoperating means, saidy bolts being constructed and arranged toautomatically lock themselves against retraction from the opposite sideby moving the same inwardly from the door jamb independent of saidoperating means.

3. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a common operating means for said latch bolts, meansnormally tending to position said operating means to project said bolts,means operable from one side of said door for actuating said operatingmeans to retract said latch bolts, and means whereby said latch boltsloch themselves against re.- traction through movement independent ofsaid operating means.

4. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a common operating means for said latch bolts, meansnormally tending to position said operating means to project said boltsinto locking position, means whereby said operating means may be freelyoperated from the interior side of the door to retract said bolts fromlocking position, key-controlled means for independently actuating saidoperating means from the opposite side of the door, and meansconstructed and arranged to lock said bolts against retraction from saidopposite side by moving said bolts inwardly from the door jambindependent of said common operating means.

5. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, means whereby said latch bolts may be retractedthrough a common operating means, means for retaining said latch boltsin retracted position after the door has been opened, and for releasingand placing them in locking posit-ion when the door is closed, and meanswhereby said latchv bolts are locked against retraction independent ofsaid common operating means.

6. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a common operating means for said latch boltsnormally tending to project said bolts into locking position, meanswhereby said operating means may be actuated from the interior side ofthe door to retract said bolts, means automatically engaging saidoperating means upon the opening of the door to lock said operatingmeans in latch retracted position, and automatically disengaging saidoperating means upon the closing of the door, and means whereby saidlatch bolts are locked against retraction independent of said operatingmeans.

7. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a common operating means for said latch boltsnormally tending to project said bolts into locking position, meanswhereby said operating means may be actuated from the interior side otthe door to retract said bolts, key-controlled means opera-ble from theexterior of the door to actuate said operating means to bolt-retractingposition, means automatically engaging said operating means upon theopening of the door to lock said operating means in latch retractedposition, and automatically disengaging said operating means upon theclosing ot' the door, and means whereby said latch bolts are lockedagainst retraction independent of said operating means.

S. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, means whereby said latch bolts may be retractedthrough a common operating means, means whereby said latch bolts arelocked against retraction independently of said common operating means,and a gravity lock constructed and arranged to automatically engage saidoperating means upon the opening ot the door, and to retain said meansin bolt retracted position while the door is open and provided withmeans positioned to engage the door casing upon the closing of the doorwhereby said lock is automatically disengaged from such operating means.

9. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a movable operating bar in operative connection witheach of said bolts designed to project and retract the same and normallytending to project said bolts, an operating member on one side of thedoor in operative connection with said bar and adapted to be operated tomove said bar to bolt-retracting position, and locking meansautomatically engaging said bar upon the opening of the door to retainsaid bar in bolt retracting position, and arranged to automaticallydisengage said bar upon the closing of the door.

10. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a movable operating bar in operative connection witheach of said bolts designed to project and retract the same and normallytending to project said bolts, an operating member on one side of thedoor in operative connection with said bar and adapted to be operated tomove said bar to bolt-retracting position, locking means automaticallyengaging said bar upon the opening of the door to retain said bar inbolt ret-racting position, and arranged to automatically disengage saidbar upon the closing of the door, and a locking abutment operativelypositioned by retracting movement ot' said boltindependently of saidoperating bar whereby independent retraction of said bolts is prevented.

1l. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofpivoted latch bolts each provided with a slot therein, a movableoperating bar, a plurality ot operating pins carried thereby andengaging in said bolt slots whereby movement of said bar projects andretracts said bolts, an operating member on one side of said dooroperatively connected with said bar and adapted tobe actuated to movesaid bar to bolt retracting position, and abutments carried by saidbolts positioned in the path of retracting movement of said operatingpins by partial retracting movement ot a bolt independently of said barwhereby further retraction of said bolt is prevented.

l2. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofpivoted latch bolts each provided with an inclined slot therein undercutadjacent one end to form an abutment shoulder, a movable operating bar,a plurality of operating pins swiveled in said bar and having Shanksprojecting therefrom and engaging in said bolt slots whereby movementoi"said bar projects and retracts said bolts, an operating member on oneside of said door operatively connected with said bar and adapted to beactuated to move said bar to bolt retracting position, said bolts beingadapted by partial retraction independent of said bar and its operatingpins, to position their abutment shoulders against said operating pinsin the line of bolt retracting movement thereof whereby furtherretracting movement of said bolts is prevented.

13. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a plurality ofspaced latch bolts, a movable operating bar in operative connection withsaid bolts designed to project and retract the same and normally tendingto project said bolts, said bar being provided with a locking shoulder,an operating member mounted upon one side of the door and adapted tomove said bar to bolt retracting position, and a pivoted locking memberarranged to normally move by gravity into locking engagement with saidoperating bar shoulder when said bar has been moved to bolt retractingposition and saidk door opened, said locking member having an endprojecting from said door for engagement by its casing upon the closingof the door to move said member from bar locking position and therebypermit said bar to move to bolt projecting position.

14. A unit lock of the character described, comprising in combination alock frame, a plurality of spaced bolts carried thereby, a movableoperating member guided in said frame and operatively connected to eachof said latch bolts to project the same, actuating means located at oneside of said frame and in operative connection With said operatingmember adapted to be operated to move said member to bolt retract-ingposition, and means whereby said latch bolt-s are locked againstretracting movement independent of said operating member.

15. A unit lock of the character described, comprising in combination alock frame, a plurality of spaced bolts carried thereby, a movableoperating member guided in said frame and operatively connected to eachof said latch bolts to project the same, independent actuating meanslocated at opposite sides of said frame and operatively andindependently connected With said operating member and adapted to beoperated t-o move said member to bolt retract-ing position, and meanswhereby said latch bolts are locked against retracting movementindependent of said operating member.

16. A unit lock of the character described, comprising in combination alock frame, a plurality of spaced bolts carried thereby, a movableoperating member guided in said frame and operatively connected to eachof said latch bolts to project the saine, actuating means located at oneside of said frame and in operative connection with said operatingmember adapted to be operated to move said member to bolt retractingposition, and means carried by said frame for engaging and automaticallyretaining said operating member in bolt retracting position upon theopening of the door and for automatically disengaging said operatingmember upon the closing of the door.

HENRY G. VOIGHT.

Witnesses:

GWENDOLINE A. JACKSON, M. S. WIARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 1' or ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

